WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. expects to take delivery of enough coronavirus vaccines for all adult Americans by the end of May, two months earlier than anticipated, as his administration announced that drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce rival Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved shot. With the bolstered supply, Biden also announced he would be using the powers of the federal government to direct all states to prioritize vaccinating teachers, and said the federal government would provide the doses directly through its pharmacy program. He challenged states to administer at least one dose of the vaccine to all teachers by the end of March as part of his administration’s efforts to reopen more schools across the nation. “We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May,” said Biden, who likened the partnership between the two drug companies to the spirit of national cooperation during World War II. … [Read more...] about Joe Biden vows enough vaccine for all U.S. adults by end of May
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Joe Biden urges Senate Dems to rally behind $1.9T virus bill
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden urged Senate Democrats on Tuesday to rally behind a $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill and stood by his proposed $1,400 payments to individuals, even as some party moderates sought to dial back parts of the package. “He said we need to pass this bill and pass it soon. That’s what the American people sent us here to do, and we have to get America the help it needs,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters, describing a 20-minute conference call Biden had with Democratic senators. The president’s cry for unity came as Democrats, with no votes to spare in a 50-50 Senate, sorted through lingering divisions over the emerging bill. Those included moderates’ efforts to focus spending more narrowly on those hardest hit by the deadly pandemic and resulting economic contraction. Biden took to Twitter to signal he wouldn’t budge from his demand that lawmakers add a fresh $1,400 payment to the $600 that millions of individuals received from … [Read more...] about Joe Biden urges Senate Dems to rally behind $1.9T virus bill
Murthy vows to focus on mental health effects of pandemic if confirmed as surgeon general
Vivek Murthy Vivek Murthy The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by The AIDS Institute - Senate ref axes minimum wage, House votes today on relief bill Watch live: Biden surgeon general pick testifies at confirmation hearing The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by The AIDS Institute - Ahead: One-shot vax, easing restrictions, fiscal help MORE , President Biden Joe Biden Senate Democrats negotiating changes to coronavirus bill Rural Americans are the future of the clean energy economy — policymakers must to catch up WHO official says it's 'premature' to think pandemic will be over by end of year MORE ’s pick for surgeon general, vowed to focus on the mental health aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic if confirmed. During an interview with "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday, Murthy said the U.S. is facing a “deeply concerning” increase in mental illness during the pandemic, including among children. Murthy said he would push for increased … [Read more...] about Murthy vows to focus on mental health effects of pandemic if confirmed as surgeon general
Psaki Won’t Say If Biden Will Keep Religious Freedom Office At HHS
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki would not say Tuesday whether President Joe Biden will keep an office within the Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to religious freedom. The Conscience and Religious Freedom Division was launched by the Office of Civil Rights in January 2018 under former President Donald Trump’s administration. (RELATED: ‘Were The Nuns Going To Get Pregnant?’ Sasse Hammers Becerra On ‘Bullying’ Little Sisters Of The Poor) This was the first time a federal office for civil rights created a separate division focused on “ensuring compliance with and enforcement of laws that protect conscience and free exercise of religion in healthcare and human services,” according to a Jan. 24, 2020 statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. Eternal World Television Network reporter Owen Jensen questioned Psaki Tuesday on the implications of the Equality Act and whether this office would remain in place to receive conscientious … [Read more...] about Psaki Won’t Say If Biden Will Keep Religious Freedom Office At HHS
FBI chief to face questions about extremism, U.S. Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Chris Wray is set to testify for the first time since the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, with lawmakers likely to press him on whether the bureau adequately communicated with other law enforcement agencies about the potential for violence that day. Questions about the FBI’s preparations for the riot, and investigations into it, are expected to dominate Wray’s appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He’s also likely to be pressed on how the FBI is confronting the national security threat from white nationalists and domestic violent extremists and whether the bureau has adequate resources to address the problem. The violence at the Capitol made clear that a law enforcement agency that revolutionized itself after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to deal with international terrorism is now scrambling to address homegrown violence from white Americans. President Joe Biden’s administration has tasked his national intelligence director to … [Read more...] about FBI chief to face questions about extremism, U.S. Capitol riot